Rhubarb and Custard Tart

Do you remember Rhubarb and Custard boiled sweets?  Those slightly sickly red and yellow striped ones?  This is the more grown-up version, being a delicious tart of baked rhubarb in a very rich and creamy custard. This recipe is from Country Living Magazine, many years ago, but for some reason I hadn't tried it.  Having now done so, I can highly recommend it, as it is very easy, and absolutely delicious, hot or cold!   Please note that the recipe calls for a deep fluted tart tin.  I made it in a shallower one, and had enough of the rhubarb and custard left over to make several tartlets too (I keep little tartlet cases in the freezer, made with left over pastry, ready to use).

Rhubarb and Custard Tart

Rhubarb and Custard Tart

Pastry:

6oz/150g plain flour

4oz/100g unsalted butter

1tbsp caster sugar (I omitted this)

pinch salt

1 egg yolk (I use a whole egg)

2 tbsp ice cold water

Tart:

12oz/500g trimmed rhubarb

3 tbsp caster sugar (2 tbsp plus 1 later in the recipe)

250ml/8floz crème fraiche

2 large egg yolks  

1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 190 deg C and put a sold baking tray into the oven to heat.     Make the pastry (in a food processor, add the butter to the flour, sugar and salt, process until it looks like crumbs, add the egg and cold water as needed to make a smooth dough).    For best results, put the pastry in a ball into the fridge for at least 20 minutes, then roll out into a 9” x 1 ½”/23cm x 3.5cm loose bottomed flan tin and brush the base lightly with egg white.   Chill it again for another 20 minutes.     Cut the rhubarb into ½”/1.5cm lengths, mix with 2tbsp sugar.  Put a sheet of baking parchment onto a large baking tray and tip the rhubarb onto it.  Cook for about 15-20 minutes until it softens.  Allow to cool (I didn’t have time, so microwaved it until it softened and then put it into the oven for about 5 minutes).

Bake the pastry case on the hot baking sheet for 15 minutes or until golden brown (this is to prevent a soggy bottom!).   Reduce the oven to 180 deg C. 

Beat the last tbsp sugar with the crème fraiche, egg yolks and vanilla.   Arrange the rhubarb neatly in the shell, then pour in the crème fraiche mixture and cook it for about 30 minutes until the custard has set and is slightly brown in places.   The recipe says that it should be allowed to cool to room temperature before serving.  

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